“Safety and security don’t just happen; they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.” This Nelson Mandela’s, Former President of South Africa quote directly indicates that international community should invest on children’s safety and security activities otherwise we cannot create a life free of violence and risk.
Indeed today’s children are the ones who can build the future world, they need due attention. FDRE Ministry of Women, Children and Youth (MoWCY) is actively working on safeguarding vulnerable children in the country. Kibri Hailu Children’s Right and Security Director under the Ministry says child development, prevention and protection and preparing rehabilitation are the three basic issues that the Ministry is keenly working on to reduce children’s vulnerability.
According to Kibri, schools, families and media have vital role in child development which is the first phase of child protection mechanism. Especially, schools and families are responsible to create friendly environment including preparing attractive recreational areas for refreshing their mind. Apart from this, they should adopt appropriate child care methods. Besides, Medias are also responsible for child development through broadcasting interesting issues that can help children adopt positive cultural values. If the above things are applied suitably it is possible to root out children’s problems from the source, he avowed.
The Ministry is also working on prevention and protection to reduce children’s vulnerability, Kibri added. As to him, increasing families’ economic status is the prior task for preventing children from street life and illegal migration. Every child has the right to get its basic needs. Hence, the ministry along with their family is responsible to perform this. Accordingly, the ministry coupled with stake holders has prepared awareness creation campaign and mobilization on children’s prevention and protection method among the community.
As to Kibri, the last but not the least issue for the ministry to be done is preparing rehabilitation center for vulnerable children. This phase there up on helps children to return and meet with their family or the society after getting trainings at different rehabilitation centers across the country.
Cognizant of the above three basic tasks by the ministry, more than 17 thousand street children and returnees from different Arab countries were able to return to their family by the last fiscal year only. Apart from lack of sufficient rehabilitation centers, information gap among the society and the ministry has identified lack of follow up and support from the government and other stake holders were the major challenges to prevent more children.
Accordingly, the Ministry has put some directions for this fiscal year in order to support vulnerable children across the country. Solving problem of families with children handling, conducting extensive study, strengthening coordination on follow up, working cooperatively with other stake holders are among them, He noted.
Additionally, the data from communication directorate under the Ministry indicates that after Ethiopia ratified Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, it is able to reduce under 5, Under 1 and Neonatal Mortality Rate to 55/1000, 43/1000 and 30/1000 respectively. Similarly, 26.8 million children are attending formal education across the country in line with improving children’s education access.
The data also pointed
out, under 5 children Stunting, Wasting and Underweight rate reduced to 37
percent from 58 per cent, 7 per cent from 12 per cent and 21 per cent from 41
per cent respectively in this fiscal year compared to last fiscal year. Coupled
with preparing a road map to stop early marriage and other harmful traditional
practices by 2025, it was able to benefit more than 4.6 million children through
different systems.
The Ethiopian Herald November23, 2019
BY HIZKEL HAILU
